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Echo, Echo, Echo..

Social Media & Homophily

Social media allows us the opportunity to interact with individuals with similar likes and interests. Homophily is essentially the concept that human beings are drawn to people who are similar to them. When the phenomenon of social media meets the concept of homophily, one may find themselves immersed in a community of mutual interest. One benefit of social media is that we’re afforded the opportunity to expand our knowledge based on our likes, interests, and similarities. For more on homophily and the benefits of social media connection, my post from last week is available here: Click Here

Echo Chambers & Algorithms

As we learn more about social media algorithms, we understand that the way that we engage with content will dictate what type of content we will be shown. This is excellent in some cases, say if a user has a horseback riding hobby. However, what about the not-so-benign interests of others? A severe drawback of the way social media algorithms work is that, if one isn’t deliberate in seeking out a variety of opinions, news sources, and ideas, one may find themselves trapped in an echo chamber. These echo chambers, which become fueled by confirmation bias (Bessi, Zollo, Vicario, et al., 2016) can result in negative outcomes such as trolling, cyberbullying, and the emboldening of terrorist groups. When we are perpetually flooded with the same opinions that we hold, without anything to challenge them, we run the risk of believing that our opinions are correct.  

Breaking Free From The Algorithm’s Chokehold

While the risks I mentioned in the previous section can seem intimidating, there is hope. Social media users don’t have to be bogged down by what the algorithm sets out for them. One way to prevent these risks is by engaging in intellectual humility. Intellectual humility is a concept that I learned in a previous course, and it essentially proposes that we don’t assume to know everything. Checking facts isn’t a sign of weakness or unintelligence, it is a great sign of intellectual humility. Beyond being humble and checking facts, users can also make it a point to seek out differing opinions and views, to be informed about issues from multiple perspectives. 

References

Bessi, A., Zollo, F., Vicario, M. D., Puliga, M., Scala, A., Caldarelli, G., Uzzi, B., & Quattrochiocchi, W. (2016). Users polarization on Facebook and YouTube. PLoS, 11(8), 1–24.

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Connection is Crucial

The Psychology of Connection & Social Media 

As we explore the factors that contribute to social media use, we come to the topic of social connection. Social media has enhanced the way that we connect socially, by leaps and bounds. Geography and “who you know” no longer play a major role in the way people connect. Of course, we know that human beings are social creatures, but what are the benefits of connecting with one another? When we connect, we can facilitate sharing and openness. We can receive affirmations that boost our confidence, and we can give confirmation to correct opinions that we hold in common with our peers (Close Scheinbaum, 2017). Humans naturally desire to connect with others, especially similar others. 

Homophily & Social Media

Social media allows us the opportunity to do all of the above and adds the ability to interact with individuals with similar likes and interests. Homophily is essentially the concept that human beings are drawn to people who are similar to them. When the phenomenon of social media meets the concept of homophily One benefit of social media is that we’re afforded the opportunity to expand our knowledge based on our likes, interests, and similarities. 

The Science of Algorithms

Social media platforms have, for the most part, all developed a unique system that they use to influence what we see on our feeds. One thing that the majority of these systems have in common is that they curate what comes up on our timelines using an engagement-based algorithm. The more we engage with one another by liking, saving, or sharing, the more likely we are to see similar content generated in our newsfeeds (Agrawal, 2016). 

References

Agrawal, A. (2016, April 21). What Do Social Media Algorithms Mean For You? Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2016/04/20/what-do-social-media-algorithms-mean-for-you/?sh=2e7c363da515

Close Scheinbaum, A. (Ed.). (2017). The dark side of social media: A consumer psychology perspective. Routledge.

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A Ringless Engagement

Capturing Attention in Social Media

Brands, influencers, and other variations of marketers are all aiming to attract the attention of users, in order to turn users into followers, and potentially even turn followers into consumers. In order to be successful, it’s vital that brands are able to compete for, and hold, the digital public's attention. “Clickbait” is a term used to describe the attention grabbing and sometimes misleading headlines that we see utilized online (Pengnate, 2019). The purpose of clickbait is to engage users and drive traffic or attention to a page, person, or product. Other strategies that are employed by marketers and influencers are bright colors, music and sound effects, or photos, all of which have been selected specifically to intrigue people. 

Some challenges for gaining viewer attention include the vastness of the market, and the perceived trustworthiness of the brand. Brands and influencers can make an impression on a saturated market by curating aesthetically pleasing content, and by using passion (Li, et al., 2017) or emotion (Pengnate, 2019) in their content creation. One strategy for attaining trustworthiness is mindful collaboration with other, similar brands or influencers. Use of clickbait headlines can also limit perceived credibility (Pengnate 2019), thereby having a negative effect on the trust of consumers. Certain companies may benefit from using clickbait, while others may suffer for it. 

 Maintaining Engagement in Social Media

After capturing viewers, how does one hold them? The answer is by connecting and working with viewers through “engagement” (Alt, 2018). Social media engagement involves the viewer in some way, quite literally “engaging” them in the experience of the brand, influencer, or product. A reaction to a post, a caption that says “drop a heart if you can relate”, and surveys and contests are forms of engagement. When viewers become engaged, a connection forms. Engaged users are more likely to keep engaging and “buy in” than unengaged viewers

References

Alt, D. (2018). Students’ wellbeing, fear of missing out, and social media engagement for leisure in higher education learning environments: Research and reviews. Current Psychology, 37(1), 128-138. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9496-1

Brady, W. J., Gantman, A. P., & Van Bavel, J. J. (2019). Attentional capture helps explain why moral and emotional content go viral. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 1–11.

Li, J. (Jason), Chen, X.-P., Kotha, S., & Fisher, G. (2017). Catching fire and spreading it: A glimpse into displayed entrepreneurial passion in crowdfunding campaigns. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(7), 1075–1090.

Supavich (Fone) Pengnate. (2019). Shocking secret you won’t believe! emotional arousal in clickbait headlines: An eye-tracking analysis. Online Information Review, 43(7), 1136-1150. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/OIR-05-2018-0172